


I'll Cover You

by PixeledAtom



Category: Fallout 3
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 06:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6184039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixeledAtom/pseuds/PixeledAtom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"If you want me to be your boyfriend all you have to do is say, girl,"</p><p>Almost instantaneously, his face was hit by a pillow that Autumn threw and he managed to catch it before it fell to the ground.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Cover You

"You told her what?"

 

The look of disbelief was clear on Butch’s face as he stood by the side of the couch that Autumn was sitting on. She did not answer his question and her eyes wandered everywhere but where Butch was. She couldn’t look at him, she’d just be as pissed at him as he was with her at that moment.

 

"You heard what I said, I don't want to repeat it," she stubbornly replied as she pushed back her glasses on the beige of her nose.

 

"And she believed you?" he crossed his arms then leaned towards the wall with his shoulder rested against it as he waited for her response.

 

"Well she didn't question it," she replied. 

 

Autumn finally let herself meet Butch's gaze then in a mocking cheerful tone she said,

 

"She's even happy for the both of us," Butch rolled his eyes in frustration but his mouth curved into a smirk and said.

 

"If you want me to be your boyfriend all you have to do is say, girl,"

 

Almost instantaneously, his face was hit by a pillow that Autumn threw and he managed to catch it before it fell to the ground.

 

"Hey, watch the hair!" he said as his free hand stroke his pomaded hair to fix any hair out of place. He threw the pillow back at her, hitting her head then landed next to her on the couch.

 

"How long do you plan to keep this up?" he asked.

 

"Just until we go back outside," she replied as she tucked away strands of her green hair behind her ear.

 

"How long are we staying anyway, I'm sick of the vault already," he sat down on the arm of the couch.

 

"Just a day or two maybe,"

 

"Amata's already got a husband and a baby on the way and you're still pining for her?" his remark landed him with another pillow to the face then in a raised voice Autumn replied.

 

"I'm not expecting anything in return, Butch, I just want to at least let her know what I feel-- felt, for her,"

 

"If you're not expecting anything in return why tell her anything? Why don't you just forget about it and move on with someone else," her face turned red from being irked at Butch as well as feeling embarrassed about the truth of what he just said.

 

"Now you decide to be a smart ass? Just let me do this, okay?"

 

"Whatever, I'm going out for a smoke," he stood up from the arm of the couch and he made his way towards the exit without looking back at Autumn.

 

She looked around the living room and was only reminded of how alone she was just by being there; it was the living room of her childhood home after all. All her fond memories of the place only disappointed her, she already lost her father and now maybe Amata too. She suddenly remembered those first few nights that she was alone in the Wasteland. In those moments of desperation and solitude, only the jacket of the bully who had a change of heart in the heat of the moment gave her some sort of comfort. But that bully changed and she still felt that comfort as she felt the tight hug of his jacket on her, only now it felt warmer.

 

\---

 

Butch stood at the scenic overlook just outside the vault with a lit cigarette in hand. He took a puff from it as he took in the view of the Wasteland. His eyes reached the horizon but he wasn’t staring at anything in particular. It was only past noon and he and Autumn arrived just this morning but he was sick of the vault already. He left the vault for a reason and being back here again was a strange feeling. He exhaled the smoke out of his mouth then his thoughts started running.

 

Even if Amata has a new life now, Butch still felt a nagging feeling that Autumn would want to be a part of that. He wished he was wrong. After being at each other's throats for most of their childhood years, he has grown fond of her over the past year and a half in their many adventures in the Wasteland. But even if he was willing to follow her everywhere, he sure as hell won't follow her back in the vault even if that meant never seeing her again. But he hoped it wouldn't come to that. He then raised his hand to bring the cigarette to his mouth. As soon as it touched his lips someone appeared out of nowhere to swipe it away and threw it on the ground.

 

"Hey what the--"

 

"I don't know what kind of manipulation you did to her but I swear if you hurt her in any way--" Amata spoke agitatedly before Butch interrupted her.

 

"Whoa calm down, Amata, you got a baby in you," he said as he looked at the bump on Amata's stomach. "And she said you were happy for us. Relax, I don't intend to hurt her or anything,"

 

"Good," Amata crossed her arms then her voiced mellowed down to ask, "How did it happen anyway?"

 

"I don't know, it sorta just happened," Butch replied, which was not exactly far from the truth. "Why don't you just go and ask her? You two are best friends or something right?"

 

"Exactly, that's why I already have an idea about what she's going to say," Amata smiled then continued. "I'm more interested in how Butch DeLoria got to somehow trap her into being his girlfriend,"

 

"Trap her? Actually it's the other way around,"

 

"You're kidding me, after all those years?" Amata chuckled. "What could she possibly like about you?"

 

"Well you better believe it," he replied. "Look, I don't know what you want from me, man,"

 

"I'm her best friend, you're her boyfriend, so we have to work with each other here,"

 

"How about you mind your own business, and I mind my own, I'm sure she'd be fine with that,"

 

"Oh grow up, Butch," Amata rolled her eyes and sighed, "What's your problem anyway?"

 

Butch had a lot of answers to her question but in the end he just responded with, "Nothing, just leave me alone, okay?"

 

"Fine, whatever," Amata turned away from him and made her way to the vault's entrance.

 

"Wait," Butch turned around and approached her, "I'm sorry alright, don't tell her about this. Just get off my back, okay?"

 

"Yeah, yeah,"

 

"You should probably talk to her by the way," he told her. "She has something really important to tell you,"

 

"If it's so important why can't she just tell me herself?"

 

"I don't know, just shut up and go to her,"

 

"Don't tell me what to do,"

 

Butch looked on as Amata disappeared behind the wooden door that led to the vault, leaving him alone once again at the scenic overlook. He turned around to see the view of the Wasteland again then sighed. He hoped Autumn would wrap up the whole Amata business already so they could go back to the Wasteland. Death followed them everywhere but it sure beats staying in the vault.

 

\---

 

"Autumn, what the fuck?"

 

Butch was back with Autumn in the living room and the conversation they had earlier that day seemed to be happening all over again. He was filled with disbelief at the absurdity of what she just told him and she just sat there on the couch, with her face buried into her hands because she couldn't believe what she just did as well.

 

"It just came out I'm sorry!" she said without moving her hands away from her face.

 

"What's next we're having a baby? Hey can we name him Butch Jr.?"

 

"Piss off already," she lifted her head from her hands and she snapped at him. "You shouldn't have told her that I had something important to say, you know how I'd sometimes panic when put on the spot,"

 

"Oh now it's my fault? Look I just want to leave the vault right now, so if you don't tell her I will,"

 

"I'm working on it!" she yelled at him then slumped her back on the couch. "If you want to leave so badly why don't you just leave already? I'm not forcing you to stay with me,"

 

"Yeah but I am anyway," he sighed then sat down next to her. "Someone has to keep you from being deluded into staying just because of her,"

 

"So what if I want to stay back here for a while?" she mumbled without looking at him. He turned his head to the side to look at her and said,

 

"You don't belong here anymore and you know it. You'll come back to the Wasteland eventually so I'm just keeping you from wasting your time,"

 

"Whatever," she replied. "Oh and she said she'll try and get some answers from you so if she asks weird questions it's about the proposal thing," Butch just sighed and said,

 

"I don't know why I keep on letting you get me into shit like this,"

 

"I don't know either, but thank you, Butch,"

 

"Yeah, don't mention it,"

 

After a few moments in silence, Butch stood up from the couch and began walking towards the door.

 

"Where are you going?" Autumn asked.

 

"My mom wants me to stay the night at her place,"

 

"Oh,"

 

"Hey it's alright I'll be sleeping with you again tomorrow," he teased.

 

"Piss off," a small smile formed on her face. "See you in the morning,"

 

"Yeah,"

 

\---

 

Butch was up early and was having breakfast at the diner with Autumn. They were seated next to each other at the counter and as he took a bite off his bacon, he realised it's been awhile since he consumed anything without radiation. The taste somehow felt bland and he figured the radiation probably added to the flavour, that or he was just used to the radiation by now. He turned his head to the side to look at Autumn and grinned when he saw a sweet roll on her plate. Without saying anything, he reached for the sweet roll and swiped it away from her plate.

 

"Hey!" Autumn dropped her fork on her plate and when she turned to Butch, she witnessed him lick the sweet roll before presenting it to her.

 

"Eww," she pushed away his arm and Butch just laughed.

 

"Payback, bitch,"

 

"How is it payback when you're the one who harassed me into giving it to you all those years ago? Twelve years ago mind you, you immature idiot," Butch didn't respond and just took a bite of the sweet roll with a smile on his face.

 

"Idiot," Autumn smiled as he got off her seat. "I'm heading down at the maintenance, Stanley wanted me to check on something,"

 

"Hey don't forget about that thing with Amata," Butch reminded her.

 

"I know, shut the fuck up," Autumn replied.

 

Butch returned to his meal when Autumn walked away from her. She was surprised when she bumped into Amata just outside the diner so she awkwardly greeted her,

 

"Hey hey hey Amata," Autumn wished at that moment that a Deathclaw would come and take her. Amata just smiled then asked her,

 

"Is he in there?"

 

"Yeah,"

 

"Alright, don't worry about anything, I'll find out for you,"

 

"Yeah, thanks," Autumn nervously smiled without looking at her.

 

Amata went inside the diner and Autumn watched through the window pane as she approached Butch. Autumn just sighed and hoped Butch would fare better in talking to Amata than her before she walked away.

 

"So... Butch," Amata sat down on the seat that Autumn just vacated. Butch's cheerful mood moments ago disappeared upon hearing Amata's voice. In an unenthusiastic tone he replied,

 

"What now, Amata?"

 

"How serious are you about her really?" she asked. Butch turned to her and replied,

 

"What are you her mother?"

 

"Just answer the damn question," Amata snapped at him then sighed.

 

After a moment of reluctance, Butch finally responded with, "I'm vey serious about her,"

 

"Very serious?" Amata raised her eyebrow.

 

"Yeah,"

 

"That's it?"

 

"Hey, I'm not that articulate with words, Amata,"

 

"Well that's true," she chuckled. "I'm surprised you even know what articulate means,"

 

"Fuck off, what do you want from me?"

 

"I just want to make sure you're as serious about this as she is," she sighed then continued. "She's lost a lot of people in her life already,"

 

"She won't have that problem with me," he replied and before he shoved another bite of bacon in his mouth, he mumbled, "If she paid attention she'd know that,"

 

"What do you mean by that?"

 

"Nothing, forget I said that,"

 

"Are you two having problems already?" Amata asked. "Maybe you two should talk to Christine or--"

 

"We don't need counselling, Amata," Butch replied with an irritated tone. "Look, whatever it is she told you, I'm not the problem. We've been through a lot of everything out there and I never left her side. Hell, I waited for her for three days with almost nothing because she got beamed up into the sky and shit,"

 

"Wait, what happened?" Amata asked in confusion.

 

"She got abducted by aliens or something, anyway that's not the point. The thing is I don't plan on walking away unless she tells me I should, so the problem here is not me, it's her and honestly I'm getting sick of it but I don't know what it would take to make her forget about her feelings for you,"

 

"Her feelings... for me?"

 

"Shit, I said it," he panicked then placed a hand on his head.

 

"Wait, Butch,"

 

"Fuck, she's never gonna forgive me for this," he rested his elbows on the counter and placed buried his head in his hands.

 

"Butch," Amata tried to get his attention but he cut her off again and removed his hands on his head before he faced her.

 

"Look if she confesses or something, act surprised,"

 

"Butch! I already know that!" she finally shouted and that caught his attention.

 

"What?"

 

"I already know she likes me,"

 

"How long?"

 

"A while, years ago,"

 

"Did you like her too?" Butch looked at her intently and the tone of his voice was just as honest as he asked her. Amata couldn’t help but wonder if she was even looking at the same Butch just a while ago.

 

"Not any more than a friend,"

 

"Well, why didn't you say anything?" Butch demanded.

 

"Well I didn't want to assume anything, and I figured maybe she just likes me because I'm the only one she ever talks to," Amata sighed. "I mean, you and your little gang bullied us to no end, the other girls don't like her all that much, and the only other person she talked to besides me was Freddie. She had a crush on him too, but she got over him eventually,"

 

"You should've at least said something back then,” Butch spun his seat around so that his back was against the counter. “Now all this time she's spending back here was just a waste,"

 

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't know she still had feelings for me, I thought she'd gotten over me like she eventually did with Freddie,"

 

"Well you better go do something about it now,” Butch crossed his arms then continued, “I don't think she'll ever find the words to tell you. She's wasted enough time back here,"

 

"I will don't worry," Amata placed her elbow on the counter then rested her head against his hand, "So that's why you've been so pissed off at me every time I talk to you,"

 

"That and I never liked your guts,"

 

"Good, I don't like you either,"

 

"Ain't I so lucky?" The concerned tone as he spoke disappeared and reverted to an irritated one now that he was just talking to Amata and not about Autumn, "Are you gonna talk to her or not? I'm starting to miss the radiation outside,"

 

"I will, don't push it," she responded. "I don't want to come between you and her, I don't like you but you really seem to care for her a lot, she's not stupid so she must have seen some redeeming quality in you,"

 

"Wow, thanks, Amata. You know I always thought you were a bitch, I guess you're not a complete bitch after all,"

 

"And that's about all the kindness I'd ever get from you,” she sighed but with a faint smile on her face. “I'll go talk to her now, then maybe you'd be nicer around me,"

 

"Maybe, don't count on it,"

 

Butch noticed at the corner of his eye how Amata looked like she was struggling to get down from her seat because of her baby bump. He was hesitant at first, knowing how Amata would react about it but he ended up offering his hand to her to help her down. Amata was surprised with the act but just smiled at him without saying anything else. As soon as she got back up on her feet, Butch turned around to get back to his breakfast and Amata took this as a sign to walk away and leave the diner. 

 

\---

 

Autumn just left the maintenance department and her mind was all over the place. She wanted to get the whole Amata thing over with but she really didn’t know how to go through with it. She didn’t know what she was thinking when she told Butch about her plan. She thought about holding it off again but the other person she can approach right now is Butch and she already knows how he’s going to react to that.

 

"Autumn!" Amata called out to Autumn upon seeing her but Autumn didn’t notice her until she bumped into her.

 

"Amata! There you are, I was just looking for you," came out of Auutmn’s mouth but in her head she was panicking. It seems like she was going to have to go through with the confession now but she did not prepare for it at all and she honestly was horrible at on the spot scenarios.

 

"I was just looking for you too, I need to talk to you about something," Amata smiled at her which Autumn took for a good thing, her smile had always comforted her.

 

"What about?" Autumn asked.

 

"I was talking to Butch earlier and don’t be mad but he kinda slipped and told me about everything," Amata replied and Autumn’s face immediately fell. She felt like a wall around her crumbled down and fell on her.

 

"Shit, I knew he'd slip,” she buried her face into her hands and she honestly felt like she was about to cry from their, but mostly her, embarrassing lie, “Oh god, I’m so so sorry,”

 

"It's alright, I understand," Amata smiled at her again and Autumn immediately felt guilty about the lie.

 

"Look, I'm really sorry I didn't mean to lie to you, it just came out of nowhere and Butch was the first person that came to my mind and I know he'd be alright with it, he usually does what I tell him to so--"

 

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Amata cut her off.

 

"Didn't you say Butch told you we weren't really boyfriend and girlfriend?"

 

"No... that's not what he told me…” Amata replied in confusion. Slowly the pieces were coming together as she recalled the conversation she had with Butch earlier. She remembered his reactions and responses clearly and knowing now that he and Autumn weren’t really together just made her smile when she realised what was going on, “Then that means.."

 

"Wait what did he say, what are you smiling about?"

 

"Nothing, don't worry about it,” Amata suddenly shifted to a much chipper mood which Autumn found suspicious. “Anyway, he slipped up about your feelings towards me,"

 

"That's even worse," she brushed her hands through her fringe in frustration then brought her hand back down, leaving her with a messy fringe. “I’m gonna kill him,”

 

"It's alright, don't be mad at him, even if he didn't slip I know about it already,"

 

"What? When?" 

 

"Years ago, you were pretty obvious really,"

 

By now Autumn was just distraught. All those times she felt nervous around her and felt worried about losing her friendship if she finds out about what she felt for her seemed to be all for nothing. She wanted to be angry at Amata but she didn’t force her into feeling that way for her, that was all her fault. She felt like crying but she managed not to and just asked her,

 

"Why didn't you say anything?"

 

"I didn't want to assume anything and make you feel awkward about it," Amata reached out for her hand and held it tight. "We didn't have much friends apart from each other," When Autumn heard that, she locked her hands with Amata as well and let the tears fall from her eyes. She had nothing to cry about but she just had to let the tears go. When she did, she wiped them away with the sleeve of her leather jacket.

 

"If you knew for a long time and didn't say anything then I guess I never really had a chance, huh?"

 

"Oh, Autumn, I'm sorry,” Amata moved in closer to give her a hug. Autumn felt her baby bump against her and she just smiled and sighed.

 

_ Enough now, _ she thought to herself. Amata let go and Autumn moved away from the hug.

 

“I know I should've said something,” Amata told her. “Even Butch was mad at me when I said I've always known about it,"

 

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be mad at me too for wasting his time,"

 

"Actually he wasn't mad at that at all," Amata smiled. "He was actually mad at me for you and how I wasted your time for thinking about what you feel about me,"

 

"Really? That doesn't sound like Butch, he only cares about himself,"

 

"I wouldn't say that about him," she replied. "He cares but I guess not in an obvious way, you know how he is, or maybe you just weren't paying attention,"

 

"A couple of talks with him and he's suddenly replaced me as your best friend?"

 

"Oh please, we couldn't even last a minute without insulting each other," she chuckled. "But I'm surprised at how much he's... matured, even if a little bit,"

 

"Really? I guess he's nicer to me since we travel a lot together, but he's still the same Butch to me,"

 

"Like I said, maybe you're just not paying attention," Amata gave her a knowing smile and continued, "Since I'm not a problem to you anymore maybe you'll see it," Autumn just smiled back, staying oblivious to what Amata’s smile meant.

 

"So... we're still friends right?" Autumn asked.

 

"Of course,” Amata replied and held her hand. “Best friends,"

 

"Thank you," Autumn smiled. "I didn't want to lose you too,"

 

"Oh you won’t. And by the way Butch might not say it to your face but he said he would never walk out on you either,"

 

"Now you're just messing with me,” Autumn chuckled. “I'm sure he only said that because I told him we'd be pretending that we were in a relationship,"

 

"Maybe, maybe not," Amata just smiled at her again. She felt the temptation of telling her about Butch but unlike him, Amata was actually enjoying the idea of this chase so she figured she was going to let Autumn find out for herself.

 

"Hey there you are, I've been looking all over for you,"

 

“Speak of the devil,” Amata remarked when Butch entered the picture.

 

"You," Autumn pointed a finger at him with an exasperated look on her face. "I can't believe you got ahead of me and told Amata about it!"

 

"Did she tell you it was an accident? 'Coz it was," Butch replied with an equally annoyed tone. His eyes then landed on Autumn and Amata’s joined hands and his brows only furrowed a bit more. Even if Butch had looked away, Amata caught him so she let go of Autumn’s hand. "Well you two obviously talked it out,” he spoke. “So are we going or are you staying?"

 

"Yeah, whatever, I'll go pack my things," Autumn replied as she walked past Amata and Butch, but before she got far, she turned around and looked at Butch, "I'm never gonna trust you with any of my secrets again,"

 

"Like I care, I already know enough to blackmail you anyway," Butch crossed his arms as he watched her walk away. "And hurry the fuck up, my mom just reminded me why I'd rather be out there getting radiation with you!"

 

He didn’t want to show it, but he was struggling to keep a smile from showing on his face. When he turned around to face Amata, she just stared at him with a smile on her face. He was suspicious about what that smile meant so in an annoyed tone he asked,

 

"What are you smiling about now?"

 

"Nothing," Amata just kept on smiling as he approached him. "So I already told her about how I felt about her,"

 

"Yeah, so?"

 

"You should probably tell her how you feel about her too," Amata replied. She gave him a pat on the back before she walked away from him.

 

“Don’t tell me what to do,” he shouted at her before she got too far. Amata stopped briefly but she didn’t turn around and just smiled as she kept on walking.

**Author's Note:**

> yey my first butch x lw fic so it's stupid fluffy or something.. im sorry.. it's been a while since i wrote a fanfic too it was the luteces.. lel i hope u like it doe i work rly hard on it like two days.. and the title in like two minutes.. i was listening to the rent obc and it came up


End file.
